


Flowers

by WintersIce



Category: Rune Factory (Video Games), Rune Factory 4
Genre: Complete, F/M, Fluff, Gift Giving, Humor, Self Confidence Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:55:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23418601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WintersIce/pseuds/WintersIce
Summary: For as long as Xiao Pai could remember, all she ever wanted as a present were flowers. Much like many other things in her life, it just never worked out. She had started to lose any hope of receiving such a simple gift until she became less of a total klutz. One midsummer day though, Lest decided to stop by as he normally did. He also proceeded to prove that her theory was wrong by offering her a certain present.
Relationships: Lest/Xiao Pai (Rune Factory)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	Flowers

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back Rune Factory! Oh, how I’ve missed you all these years. I haven’t written anything for this series in a long time so this is the perfect time to go back. Upon replaying I ended up really liking Xiao and so I had to write something for her. This is based around one of her date lines where she claims she never received a flower as a gift before.

For as long as she could remember, Xiao Pai had always enjoyed flowers. The sweet smells that danced through the room were a treat. The varying shades and shapes could change a room’s atmosphere in mere seconds. They always captivated her attention, and they were the perfect fixation while snacking on Chinese food.

They would make the perfect gift for a flower-loving young maiden. Yet, the one that always received flowers was, of course, her mother. Lin Fa would captivate the hearts of anyone with her youthful looks, curves, and endearing personality. Despite her absent-minded tendencies, people always seemed drawn to her. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for men that stayed at the inn to come back, expressing their interest in courting her. They always came bearing flowers as a gift. Be it a bouquet from the flower shop or a couple of freshly picked flowers. 

It wasn’t like the customers knew she was married, her father rarely stayed with them after all. Many didn’t even believe Lin Fa was her mother. She couldn’t remember how many times she was called Lin Fa’s little sister. If there was anything, she could say she inherited from her mother, it was her youthful looks. Which, per her usual horrible luck, made her look like a kid rather than an adult. It would be nice to keep her youthful complexion when she got older, but to look so young people treat her as a child. It was an inconvenience most of the time. 

While it was a silly, childish wish, Xiao Pai longed for someone, anyone honestly, to give her a flower as a present. She received gifts on her birthday, but they were usually treats or good luck charms. The charms never seemed to work, despite being told over and over they would bring her luck and prosperity. It was a miracle that the charms didn’t disintegrate simply by wearing them.  
She, of course, appreciated the gifts, knowing that even someone as clumsy as herself was allowed some happiness. Except that happiness was soon squashed by a cake garnished with tomatoes rather than strawberries. Lin Fa had a horrible tendency of shoving tomatoes at her despite her continuous pleas for the red monstrosity to stay away. She always dropped hints that a flower would be enough to make her happy, yet such a reality never came. 

Xiao Pai held onto her wish tightly, but she couldn’t help but ponder just why it never came true. At times she thought her bad luck was preventing her wish for flowers from coming true. Yet, one theory surfaced repeatedly in her mind that she couldn’t shake. That theory was that she wasn't like her mother. Maybe if she was more like Lin Fa, she'd finally be able to receive flowers. 

She never considered herself pretty, or competent, like Lin Fa. While her mother was absent-minded, and even more of a space cadet than Clorica, things always seemed to work out. No matter what mistake she made, Lin Fa always came out of it unscathed. Yet if Xiao Pai made the very same mistake, the world would laugh at her and throw her flat on her face. It was as if the universe deemed that her klutziness was the source of her misfortune.

That was one of the many, many reasons why she strived to be more like her mother. No matter how many flaws Lin Fa had, Xiao Pai could look past them all. No matter how hurt she would get, at the end of the day still idolized her mother. Sure, she caused a lot of trouble for Xiao Pai, but it didn’t change how she felt. Lin Fa was able to do so much that she couldn’t, and despite her envy, she wouldn’t give up. No matter how bad things got, she promised to herself to keep moving forward until the day came that things worked out.

She had no proof to back up her theory, but it was hard to shake away these lingering thoughts. It was hard to look past years of built-up insecurities by her constant self-reinforced beliefs that her self-worth was less than Lin Fa’s. Logically speaking, all of these thoughts were nonsense, but her emotions prevented her from seeing the truth. 

Xiao Pai started to convince herself that she’d never receive the one thing she pined for unless she changed herself. That flowers were meant only for people like her mother. Yet the world decided to throw a sickle into those distorted ideals.

Daily life in Selphia had started to change the moment the visitor from the sky arrived. At first, it was just one new resident, but soon it became two and then three and even four! More people in the small town was welcomed, but the number of residents wasn’t the only new thing. 

Lest, the new farmer and stand-in prince, had created a routine to come to visit the inn and chat with her for a bit when she was on desk duty. Customers didn’t seem to care if she was chatting, as long as she put the conversation on pause long enough to take care of them. At first, it felt odd for him to come by so often just to see her. It wasn’t like she was particularly interesting compared to other people in town. After a while, it just started to feel natural. 

It seemed like another ordinary mid-summer day with the sweltering heat and nary a traveler in sight. The current customers were either in their rooms or out doing whatever they pleased. No issues were reported, and no one requested room service or a bath. The plates were safe for the time being.

At around noon the front doors opened to reveal the familiar sight of Lest, who greeted her cheerfully. Specks of dirt littered his clothes. Sweat was sliding down his forehead. Lest approached the front desk as usual, but this time he decided to stand by her side rather than in front of the desk.

“How you today Lest?” asked Xiao Pai in a friendly voice as she pulled away from the desk and faced him.

“How are you, you mean, and I’m good mostly. The heat does not make farming easy,” he replied before turning around to inspect the lobby, “No one around today? Feels dead.”

“Oh yes, that’s right,” she replied while mentally scolding herself for forgetting to use such a simple word, “It seems everyone is either outside or in their rooms. I have not had many customers in today, yes?”

“I see, that works out then…” he said before turning his attention to his mini dimension bag of wonders, “I have something to share with you today.”

Xiao Pai turned her head in confusion at those words. She watched Lest intently as he went through his bag and, to her surprise, he pulled out a couple of pink cats. The flowers, despite being in the bag, looked as though they were freshly plucked from the soil. The scent of lingering dirt could still be noticed. The world was filled with many mysterious things, which was something she learned during her travels with her father. Lest’s bag would definitely be included on that list.

“I harvested more than expected, so I wanted to share them with you,” he told her as he presented her the flowers. He had a sweet grin and even seemed proud of himself as he puffed out his chest a bit

Xiao Pai couldn’t comprehend his intentions and spoke, “You mean for Mama, yes?” 

Lest gave her a confused look before he shook his head intensely, “No, they’re for you.”

“For…me?” she replied in confusion, those words didn’t sound right. 

“Yes, for you, Xiao Pai. Not for Lin Fa,” he replied earnestly while gently wiggling the flowers at her. The petals danced in his palm, and they looked awfully pretty.

“Oh, I get it! To display in inn for the customers, yes? They look lovely and are seasonal, I’m sure they would like it,” she replied happily. The inn had greenery spread throughout it, but more wouldn’t hurt. The flowers would go well in the guest rooms.

Lest let out a sigh. He shook his head once more before he inched closer to Xiao Pai, and proceeded to speak again, “They aren’t for the inn or for Lin Fa. I want you to have them. You can put them in your room. They’re a gift just for you.”

Finally, Lest's words connected inside her head. Not for her mother, nor for the inn. They were a gift for her and her alone. There was no specific reason, he simply wanted to give her flowers. He had shared food with her before, and all those times she never questioned why and gladly snacked away. 

“No way!” she squeaked as she placed both her hands on her head, “R-really?! Flowers for me?”

Lest looked absolutely confused at her squeal, “Y-yeah? Is that a problem?”

“N-no! No problems here at all!” she yelled, “It uhh…I never received flowers as a gift. So, I could not believe they are actually for me.”

“Really?” he asked in a surprised voice, “Not even once? You like talking about flowers a lot. Yet no one ever gave you any?”

Xiao Pai nodded her head meekly, “This is the first time. Mama always gets flowers from suitors, and they sometimes ask me to give her them. No one ever gave me any, unfortunately.”

Lest moved his gaze from her, then down to the flowers, then back to Xiao Pai. She noticed his cheeks turned a light pink as he continued to stare, “So um…I’m the first person to ever give you flowers meant just for you?”

“Yes, that’s right,” she replied.

“Uhh, do you like these flowers?” he asked.

“It seems I like them very much. The color is vibrant and from here I can smell them,” she responded as a joyful smile took over her face, “I am really really happy.”

After so many years of asking, almost begging for flowers as a gift, the moment finally came. Right before her was a cute boy giving her flowers that were for Xiao Pai only. No one else could have them. Her heart swelled with immense happiness; it was a miracle! It wasn’t a dream, right? 

As the pink hue grew on Lest’s cheeks, he moved closer to Xiao Pai and reached out and grabbed her right hand. His hand felt really warm, perhaps from the heat or something else. Lest then gently placed the flowers in her hand. 

Xiao Pai pulled the newly acquired flowers to her face and breathed in its scent. The flowers smelled like summer sweets and much like the world outside of the inn. The flower's color was so vibrant and bright! She felt so happy that she finally received a flowery gift. She was still as clumsy as ever, yet she was able to get them. Maybe she had grown without noticing?

“I am awake, yes?” she asked as her head tilted while she continued to stare at the flowers. She had dreams of receiving flowers, so maybe she was still curled up in bed? That would make more sense than Lest giving her flowers out of the blue. 

“You are very much awake Xiao Pai, trust me,” spoke Lest as he raised his right hand and gently tugged on her cheek. 

“It seems so. I can feel your warm hand,” she said as she gave him a big smile, “It feels nice, and flowers smell pleasant. You are very suited to farming Lest, and thank you so much for these.” 

“Why thank you and you’re welcome. I’m happy I gave you something you really like!” he replied with a silly grin as he lightly squished her cheek, “I’ll share more of my flowers with you in the future, okay?”

“R-really?!” she yelled as her smile turned into a gaping hole, “It is okay for me to get more?”

“Of course!” Lest grinned as he pulled his hand away and proceeded to give her a thumbs up.

Xiao Pai could barely believe that the world had given her what she wanted. To think that Lest would kindly share his flowers with her just because he wanted to. There didn’t need to be a special occasion for her to receive any. It didn’t feel like the world she was accustomed to. Things were working out too much for her. Something had to go wrong, right? 

“They aren’t anything special, but I’ll gladly keep sharing with you,” spoke Lest who had become sheepish as he scratched the back of his head, “I like seeing you happy.”

She couldn’t help but mentally note just how cute Lest was. The adorable gestures, his overwhelming compassion, the obvious embarrassment. He was such a cute and kind person. She could feel her own cheeks going pink at the thought of him. It had never crossed her mind that a boy would ever notice a plain girl like herself, and yet the world decided to prove her wrong. A cute boy showing some signs of interest in her along with gifts…something defiantly had to go wrong.

“Oh my, what’s happening here?” spoke a voice from the front of the inn. 

The pair turned their head over to spy Lin Fa at the front door. She was holding a large bouquet of flowers of varying shades and sizes. They obviously came from the flower shop in town. 

“Ahh, Mama!” squealed Xiao Pai as embarrassment flooded into her body and face. Of all times for her mother to walk in!

“My my you two were having a special moment, weren’t you? Sorry to interrupt,” cooed Lin Fa as she walked closer to them with an extremely cheerful expression.

Lin Fa approached Lest and leaned into him, and scanned her eyes up and down his body. Lest couldn’t help but stiffen due to her scrutinizing gaze, which caused his eyes to waver. 

“Oh Lest, you’re so sweet to give Xiao flowers,” she finally spoke happily, “She always talks about them. Is there any reason you decided to give them to her?”

“Thank you?” he asked as he backed away from the older woman, “Uhhh, I just wanted to give them to her. That’s all, no reason really.”

Lin Fa let out a giggle, “No need to be embarrassed Lest, I can tell what’s happening here. Your red face tells me all I need to know. Your face is cute by the way, very soft looking.”

“Mama!” squealed Xiao Pai, she knew exactly what she was getting at. 

“Oh Xiao, no need to be like that. Your embarrassed face is much cuter!” she replied, “Lest you agree with me, right? She is really cute!”

Lest let out a little whimper at the coaxing, and darted his eyes between the pair. Lin Fa stared at him with soft eyes but the aura coming out of her seemed frightening. Xiao Pai knew this aura all too well. She, of course, wouldn’t harm anyone. Yet, if one did not comply with her while wielding such a soft look, they would feel an intense sensation of guilt. 

“Yeah she is cute,” spoke Lest in his normal tone but his face remained reddened. 

Flowers and complements in one day? It was certainly a miracle. Xiao Pai never considered herself any bit cute. Sure, her parents always said she was, but it was a hard thing to believe in. Hearing it from Lest felt so strange, like it shouldn’t have been directed at her. At the same time, she couldn’t help but feel flustered and she knew her face gave it away. 

“Aww how cute,” squealed Lin Fa happily while hugging the flowers, “I’ll be rooting for you Lest! Take good care of my daughter. She’s shy and a little dense but she’ll come around.”

“Mama stop! It is not like that!” yelped Xiao Pai.

“I will Lin Fa, don’t worry,” teased Lest with a silly grin. His face retained the red shade but he looked like he was enjoying the situation. 

Xiao Pai though certainly did not like it. She knew she was easily teased and did not enjoy it. Especially when it came to the matters of the heart! To hear such words made her heart race even though it was a joke. 

“L-L-Lest please do not joke about such things!” yelled Xiao Pai, if she wasn’t holding the flowers, she would have shaken both of her hands furiously. 

“Ehehe, glad to hear. Be a good boy or else Papa will come and hurt you. He is extremely protective of his little girl,” giggled Lin Fa.

Lest straightened his back at her comment, as if the thought of an angry father scared him. Lest hadn’t met him yet, and no one knew just when he would come back to town. When the time did come, she hoped there wouldn’t be any complications due to any implications from Lin Fa. 

“Anyway, I need to put this bouquet upstairs, so you two can go back to chatting,” spoke Lin Fa. She then pulled away from them and started towards the staircase. After a few moments, she had faded away to decorate with the flowers. Or just eavesdrop, who knows. 

Xiao Pai let out a sigh, that was so very typical. Her luck had to turn against her at some point. That’s just how the world operates. It could have gone much worse, but thankfully the teasing wouldn’t leave any bruises. 

“Well, I wasn’t expecting that,” spoke Lest in an attempt to clear the air. He seemed rather calm, but the hue from his cheeks hadn’t faded. Perhaps he wasn’t embarrassed but simply sunburned? 

“It seems it was Mama being Mama,” said Xiao Pai as she motioned her eyes towards the staircase. She didn’t spy any figures, but she couldn’t shake the feeling she would continue watching them.

Lest laughed at her response before he turned his head to also look up the stairs. He stared much like she was doing as if he was waiting for Lin Fa to make a mistake and reveal her position. After a few moments passed, he returned his gaze to Xiao Pai. 

“I think I should get going,” spoke up Lest, “I still have other stuff to do but I’ll see you later Xiao Pai.”

A part of her felt disappointed he was leaving so soon. He normally stuck around longer, but her intruding mother probably ruined that for her. She understood though, the mood wasn’t the same as before and he might not feel comfortable with Lin Fa watching from the shadows. 

“Have a good day Lest,” she replied before she brought the flowers gently to her chest with both hands, “Thank you so much again for the flowers. It seems I’ll be looking forward to receiving more.”

“I’m glad to hear that, I’ll be sure to give you the very best. They may not be as pretty as what Lin Fa gets, but remember that I put my heart into growing them for you,” he responded with a confident smile. 

Hearing that that made her heart beat faster. Way too fast to be normal. Did he intend for it to come off sounding rather romantic? Could it be he was just being his usual kind self and didn’t notice? No matter what he was trying to get across, she couldn’t help but stare at him with a small smile. Something meant just for her sounded nice. It sounded so foreign but it wouldn’t stop her heart from being overjoyed. 

“What is it?” he asked as he waved a hand in front of her eyes to snap her back to reality. 

“Ahh! You just, made me really happy, yes?” she replied sheepishly. She would expose herself to teasing if she said too much. 

“Well, I’m glad I made you happy,” he responded with a smile, “Though I need to get going so I’ll talk to you later.”

With that final line, he waved goodbye to her before giving the staircase another suspicious glare. Once he was out the doors, she couldn’t help but let out a sigh. Her heart needed to calm down, along with the thoughts racing around in her mind. Even though her brain couldn't comprehend what just happened, it made her quite jubilant. 

To think Lest of all people would be the one to answer her long-desired wish. That he would continue giving her flower gifts meant just for her. For once, was she able to experience the same feelings Lin Fa had when she too received gifts? Maybe, without even noticing, she had grown. 

She couldn’t help but let out joyous giggles. It was such a great feeling. She stared down at the flowers in her hands. It truly felt like a dream, but for certain it was reality. 

“Aww, you’re so cute Xiao!” squealed Lin Fa from the staircase.

“Ahh, Mama! You were listening, yes?” asked Xiao Pai in an annoyed tone as she lightly jumped backward.

“Hmm maybe, maybe not,” she teased as she descended the staircase. In her arms was a small red and white vase that was previously used in an unoccupied room.

Lin Fa approached her and gently placed the vase on the receptionist's desk, “You’re going to need this now, so you can keep it in your room. Make sure to take good care of them. Wouldn’t want to make Lest sad if you didn’t.”

Xiao Pai nodded her head before she gently placed the flowers into the vase. The pink flowers floated around in the water a bit, and they looked right at home. She would make sure to take very good care of them, and any flowers she would receive in the future. 

“Make sure you don’t trip and drop them,” teased Lin Fa she lightly poked Xiao Pai’s cheek.

“I’ll do my very best to not trip,” she responded as she raised her hands and clenched them tightly. Lest put so much effort into the gift. She couldn’t allow her clumsiness to take over in her moment of confidence.

“Good girl,” spoke Lin Fa before she pulled her finger away and then proceeded to pet her head. 

Xiao Pai returned her gaze to the flowers below her. Unbeknownst to her, a huge smile was growing on her face. She was looking forward to the future flowers, and whatever surprises Lest had in store for her. Knowing him, he was going to give his all. She was going to give her all as well in improving herself. Yet, it was nice to know that despite her flaws, she was allowed to receive something so lovely For so long, she had believed that she was too flawed to have her wish come true. She was glad to be proven wrong for a change.

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh, this was fun to write, though I hope Xiao Pai and to an extent, Lin Fa feels in character. I missed writing for this series and hopefully, I can come up with other fun ideas. I hope you enjoyed this~


End file.
